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Glutamate news
Scientists get the message across in
Australia
Scientists meeting in Adelaide have
confirmed the safety of glutamate as a food ingredient and have reported new
evidence to show the importance of glutamate in the body. The latest
research was presented at The Australian Institute of Food Science and
Technology (AIFST) Annual Convention 2001. There were twenty-five sessions
over the three days with speakers and visitors from Australia and overseas.
The session dedicated to glutamate was
entitled 'The future of MSG' and started with an overview of recent research
by Mrs Kumiko Ninomiya from the Umami Manufacturers Association of Japan.
Mrs Ninomiya reported that in addition to the many studies on flavor
profiles and the safety of MSG there have recently been significant
discoveries which show the importance of glutamate in the body. This work
provides evidence that dietary glutamate is a major energy source for the
intestine, accounting for half of the energy consumed during digestion.
Associate Professor John Prescott, from the
Sensory Science Research Centre at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New
Zealand, focused on taste. Umami can be described as a unique taste because
it is perceived as distinct from other basic tastes. There are glutamate
receptors within the tongue's taste buds, and cells within the brain which
respond preferentially to the umami taste. Professor Prescott showed that
the addition of glutamate to the right foods almost always improves flavor.
Recent studies show that even those consumers with negative attitudes
towards MSG have a preference for foods containing additional MSG, even when
the content was known. Associate Professor Prescott also reported increasing
evidence that glutamate may act as an energy source in a similar way to
carbohydrates and fats.
Dr Rosalie Woods, Research Fellow from the
Department of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine at Monash University
asked if there was any evidence behind the press reports that glutamate can
provoke asthma. Dr Woods concluded that there was no good evidence for a
link. Although Dr Woods said that a link could not be completely ruled out,
she said that it was extremely unlikely based on the knowledge that we have
today.
The session was attended by sixty-five
delegates including several representatives from the media. There was
coverage in three newspapers and on nine radio programmes. Much of the
reporting focused on naturally occurring glutamate. The fact that there is
likely to be more glutamate in an Italian meal than a Chinese meal received
good coverage. Dr Wood's research, showing that a link between asthma and
MSG was very unlikely was also widely reported. The Adelaide Advertiser
reported that the 'Scales tip in favour of MSG'. Other headlines were 'MSG
may be harmless' in the Sydney Daily Telegraph and 'No need to go
easy on the MSG, thanks' in the Melbourne Herald Sun.
Abstracts
Taste profiles for the new millennium:
recognising the umami taste
Prescott, J. Sensory Science Research
Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
Umami – an overview of recent research on
MSG, sensory applications and safety issues
Ninomiya, K. Technical Committee, Umami
Manufacturers Association of Japan
MSG and asthma – what is the evidence?
Woods, R.K. Department of Epidemiology and
Preventative Medicine, Monash University
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